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As I wrote earlier, one of the problems with the Big Society idea, when promoted as a brand by Government, is that it wraps together policies for a smaller state with practical action to promote local social action, social enterprise and voluntary action. ThisConservativeHome post by Neil O'Brien underlines its political nature. That has made it difficult for many people involved in grassroots action, who may not agree with the politics, to embrace Big Society as a space for discussion and social innovation. Here Julian Dobson launches the idea of Our Society, that emerged from discussions with John Popham, me and others involved in Big Society in the North.

So while Big Society in the North can keep debating, discussing and developing ideas of Big Society in a neutral space, we need something more: something that connects civic action, creates a mutual learning network, and helps people

work out practical ways of addressing the challenges we face.

Let’s call this space and this service Our Society. It’s not Big Society, but it engages with and complements it. It should be a social enterprise, bringing together those who are already thinking differently and helping others to do so. It can create an informed, agile network of energetic people who can develop collaborative solutions to thorny problems. It can combine the advantages of digital technologies and social media with social innovation and local engagement.

Big Society is the government’s story of how to do so; Our Society is ours – a critical friend, a space to explore, and a crucible for practical action. It recognises that social change starts at the margins, not in the mainstream – with people who are prepared to step out and experiment, rather than with those whose job is to implement policies.

What do we need to turn this into reality? First, we need doers and thinkers and innovators who understand the diversity and richness of social action but are prepared to share their learning with each other and with those who are just starting out on this journey.

Second, we need glue-ers as well as doers. What I mean by that is people who can broker, facilitate, network the networks, put people in touch with each other, and appreciate the whole as well as the parts of the jigsaw. We already have some of these within Big Society in the North, but we need more, and it shouldn’t be geographically limited. Part of that glueing needs to be about ensuring this is something for everyone – that Our Society takes into account the forgotten society of the poor, the isolated, the distressed and the marginalised.

Third, we need people who are prepared to invest modest amounts of time and resources. We’re not interested in building empires and organisations, but in freeing up enough time from enough people to feed the energy we know is out there. We want to pull together key lessons learned from the past, tap into the brain power of social innovators and share the stories that will inspire others and give them the confidence to act.